Don't Speak
by Kitsune no Miko
Summary: A sequel to "Gunning Down Romance" - X/L songfic. C&C appreciated, even needed!


Don't Speak

Author's Notes: Xellos/Lina songfic to "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Don't sue me. I is a poor student. ^_^ C&C please! 

~~~

Time seemed to slow. Zelas Metallium, one of the most ancient Mazoku Lords, fired a blast of darkness toward Lina; all knew the reason. 

Lina Inverse, favored by the Lord of Nightmares, "beautiful sorceress genius", was who Xellos Metallium had fallen in love with. He was a mazoku, a monster – and his Mistress, Zelas, had not approved of it. 

Lina steeled herself and began to recite the Giga Slave. 

But the impact of the blast never came.

_You and me   
We used to be together  
Every day together always _

_I really feel   
That I'm losing my best friend  
I can't believe   
This could be the end ___

"Xellos?" Both Zelas and Lina stopped. Lina opened her eyes to see Xellos in front of her, wavering slightly before falling back. Darkness sparked through him – his violet eyes were fluttering closed. 

She rushed to him, catching him clumsily. His breathing was spidery-thin. 

No, he can't die, he can live through this… the fruitcake's going to get up and smile even though he's wounded, like he's done before…

_It looks as though you're letting go  
And if it's real,   
Well I don't want to know _

"…L-lina…" The syllables were pained. 

"Xellos, what were you thinking? You put yourself in the way… for what?" Lina felt tears mist her eyes and immediately yelled at herself for asking such dumb questions. She knew the reason. The mazoku, the forever-fruitcake, secretive mazoku Xellos, did not want her hurt. Didn't want her killed. 

_Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
So please stop explaining   
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts  
Don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
I don't need your reasons   
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts _

Xellos gingerly touched her with a gloved hand. It was still warm, but the warmth was only an illusion. Images began to form in Lina's mind; that of a amethyst-haired young man, clad not in the attire of a happy-go-lucky traveling priest, but in a tunic and slacks much like any standard townsperson. Obviously a magic-user; she could see him go to the shrine of the Claire Bible and attempt to decode the lithographs of the manuscript littered within the shrine. 

Another series of images. The War of the Monsters' Fall. The sky glittering gold and black, the dragons flying gracefully through the expanse of sky only to come plummeting down in crimson. All due to one figure standing casually on a piece of rock. One motion, that was all it took to utterly destroy an entire swarm of dragons.

A third series. Fire reflected in those violet eyes, yet with none of the warmth; she remembered well their first meeting. 

_Our memories  
They can be inviting  
But some are altogether   
Mighty frightening _

And now, a fourth. This time, a very recent memory. The entire group was walking; she was yelling at Gourry for taking some of her food that morning, Zelgadis was quietly treading on, Amelia was humming to herself, and Xellos was at the rear of the group observing through closed eyes. His expression was not the usual I-know-what's-going-on-and-you-don't look; it was a mixture of fear and hope, a combination Lina never thought to see in a mazoku.

She heard a faint whisper. A thought.

_"My love runs through my fingers like sand spilling out of a broken hourglass…"_

The images ended, and she let the tears fall.

_As we die, both you and I   
With my head in my hands   
I sit and cry _

It all made sense now. The times he had chosen to keep her out of trouble. But it was surprising… had Xellos seen how she had tried to say the same thing? That he was the only one with such zest for living, with even more knowledge of the world than herself? 

That she had loved him?

_Don't speak  
I know just what you're saying  
So please stop explaining   
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts no no no  
Don't speak  
I know what you're thinking  
And I don't need your reasons   
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts _

"I… I love you too, Xellos…" 

But the hand was getting colder, and his eyes didn't flitter slightly open.

Lina glared at Zelas, her voice steel. 

"There's nothing keeping me from Giga Slave-ing you to oblivion, Beastmaster."

It took a moment before the Mazoku Lord responded. 

"I know."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Hm. I doubt you'd want to replace him." Zelas waved a hand airily. "I'll make a deal with you. You're a businesswoman, Lina Inverse, aren't you?"

Lina figured that "businesswoman" was a nice way of saying "takes from bandits and gets odd jobs now and then", so she grumbled acceptance. She couldn't believe the dark lord was bargaining when her most trusted second-in-command was dying.

"I'll revive Xellos. Both of you are stubborn; you deserve each other. But he will not have the luxuries of his powers. He will not be my second-in-command, or even a mazoku."

That earned Zelas a suspicious look. "In return for what?"

"Not casting the Giga Slave at me for destroying him and nearly you."

_It's all ending,  
I gotta stop pretending who we are... _

It didn't take long for Lina to accept the offer. 

Zelas smiled and bowed, leaving them. Gray clouds formed in the sky, and soon a gentle rain fell. Xellos leaned in Lina's arms, his wounds healing slowly. 

Everything had returned to white.

_You and me   
I can see us dying... are we? ___

~~~


End file.
